gooseflesh

"Know thyself"

Learning how to draw has been a cathartic experience. A healing journey.

At first it was all about the technique. Such a long process and a struggle..... to will the hand to make the right mark.

In the beginning, as I was drawing, I was talking to myself. The thoughts running through my mind took me by surprise. Going to drawing classes was frightening and wonderful at the same time. Having others look at my work was like baring my soul. That's when learning to draw became more about learning about myself. Learning to think abstractly came as an epiphany. I stopped talking to myself, my sense of time disappeared and I felt free. Akin to meditation.

I'm still learning.......

Ways of Seeing

Seeing light has taken many years of training the brain.

The left side talks and makes up shapes and the right side sees so much abstract detail. It's the right side where I love to be. It's easy to get lost in the hills and valleys of a human face. A little creature wandering up and down and over the hills. Shadows behind the hills and bright sparks of light on the crests. It's a wonderful way to loose track of time.

From my sketch book:

I can get lost in tone when drawing so I try to draw with just a line sometimes too.

This quote is from a catalogue of a Giogio Morandi exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW in 1997. It has stayed with me ever since.

"Everything in our world is of this world except light. It is the presence of the universe in our daily life. This beam allows us not just to see but to understand the world." Lou Klepac.

I can understand why ancient civilizations worshipped the sun.